


Cat Art

by navaan



Category: Avengers Assemble (Cartoon)
Genre: Artist Steve Rogers, Cats, Emotions, Established Relationship, Flirting, Implied Sexual Content, Inappropriate Humor, Innuendo, Inspired by Fanart, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-12-20 04:31:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11913261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/navaan/pseuds/navaan
Summary: In love and art Steve is always a strategist – and Tony is always a distraction





	Cat Art

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Cap IM Tiny RB Round 8: Invincible](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11847522) by [DragonK](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonK/pseuds/DragonK). 



> [Fill for Cap IM Tiny Reverse Bang 2017 Round 8: INVINCIBLE](http://capim-tinybang.tumblr.com/post/164369367973/cap-im-tiny-rb-round-8-invincible)

Steve is applying color to the canvas in broad strokes and tries not to watch Tony over the rim of it, as the other man inspects the pictures hanging on the wall. Tony is sipping water from a glass and wearing boxers and a t-shirt; his hair is sticking up this way and that. Steve can't help but smile at his disheveled and exhausted state, knowing exactly what his own part in getting him in said state had been.

Tony's apartment upstairs has kind of turned into their shared quarters. It's rare that they have sex in Steve's room. But after the recent battle Steve felt in need to process and for a creative outlet for his pent up emotions. This was when he painted. And Tony had found him here.

"I like the one of Natasha best," Tony concludes after a while. He doesn't comment on the fact that Steve slipped from the bed after sex to go back to his painting. "It's vibrant."

Tony decidedly ignores the painting of the Avengers standing and kneeling by a fallen Iron Man. Even Steve admits it's dark and brings up uncomfortable memories, but he likes it. It's about team and overcoming bad moments. It captures all the worry he was feeling at the time.

A comment about how Tony is pointedly ignoring all the pictures and sketches of himself is on Steve's lips, but he stops himself before speaking. Instead he puts more paint on the canvas and starts shaping the outline of Tony, as he stands there in the dim light of the room, tired, happy and alive. It's something he wants to capture in paint. Tony as he is now, but as Steve sees him, a bit of his own love and relief pouring into the work.

"I really worried you today," Tony says as he turns to him and sees him engrossed in his work. 

"You stopped breathing."

"I stopped my heart." 

Steve hates that Tony can shrug and say it like it's nothing.

Some of the darkness must show on his face, in the way his shoulders tense and his brush strokes get a little more forceful.

They end up staring at each other over the half-painted picture, and Steve occasionally looks down to make sure he isn't ruining his work while Tony holds his attention. He's never been an inspired artist as much as he had aspired to be, but it seems sometimes it's all about the right subject. Because he can see already this painting is turning out better than most. Maybe it's the emotion that makes the difference. Maybe it's that he's in love.

"How about you put that brush down and put a little more color on _this_ canvas?" Tony asks and pushes up the rim of his t-shirt just enough to make Steve's eyes snap to the flash of skin.

It's embarrassing how easily Tony can break his control so soon after their last round of sex.

His nostrils flare and he puts his brush down.

Tony's grin is sly and meets him as soon as his hands are free. His paint stained hands close on Tony's hips and they kiss.

"You should paint something less obvious. Trees. Kittens. Birds. Fruit. We could get that in a gallery somewhere."

Steve mumbles, “sure”, but his thoughts are on getting Tony back to bed quickly. His art is forgotten for the moment.

* * *

He leaves a painting of a sleeping black kitten in Tony's office two weeks later with a note that he expects to see it hang there next time he comes by. It's a cliche picture and he only painted it to fop Tony with it.

Of course, Tony hangs it up and grins even more slyly next time he comes visit.

"Want me to find a gallery for cat art?"

"Nobody would buy it."

"Oh," Tony says and slides a piece of paper over the desk. 

Apparently someone already made an offer. 

Steve rolls his eyes. Trust Tony to turn this joke back on him.

* * *

They argue in the living room. They rarely argue at all when it's not important, but sometimes Tony is just unreasonable and Steve's hackles rise and then they are not exactly shouting, but strongly disagreeing.

All the while, Natasha and Clint are sitting on the sofa; Clint with his hand in a bag of snacks like they're the best TV show.

"You're like hissy cats fighting over territory or catnip," Natasha says. "In ten minutes you'll curl up somewhere together and all will be forgotten."

They glare at her, reunited in their indignation.

Her comment comes back to Steve later, when he takes up the brush again.

* * *

"How lovely," a woman says. "Look at the strokes and the tension."

"Cat art, really?" the husband asks. He doesn't look enthusiastic at all. "Angry looking cats? That's art?"

"There's just something about it."

Steve pulls down his baseball cap and grins, tries not to laugh.

"I can't believe this is the picture you give me for the charity auction," Tony whispers, face only half hidden behind tinged glasses. "It's ridiculous."

"You wanted cats and trees," Steve says, quite happy with himself, especially now that he watches the disgusted face of the husband and the excited face of his wife who considers buying this picture at the auction later.

"I asked you to give me an Avengers picture to auction off."

Natasha chuckles. She's standing about two feet away, sipping champagne. "He got you there, Tony."

Steve shrugs and gins. "It's us," he says proud of his own joke. There is a black cat with a spot that marks the arc reactor and a orange tabby, hissing at each other. Just like Clint described him.

"I can see that," Tony says and huffs. "Sort of."

"You could have posed for me."

"You would have auctioned off a nude, before giving me one of the team paintings?"

Both Natasha and Steve choke on their drink at the same time.

"I'm appalled, Cap. You know you only have to ask to get me nak..."

"Thanks, yes, thank you. I do not need to be part of this discussion," Natasha interrupts Tony before he can finish his sentence. "Cats, Cap. Stick to cats. No nudes around the house. I've seen enough of Tony's butt to last me a lifetime." She walks away briskly, Tony's happy laughter trailing after her.

Steve watches her go, watches Tony's gleefully happy expression and says: "I'm not a great artist, Tony."

"You're Captain America," Tony says and steps very close. Nobody is minding them as they kiss. "You can do anything. You have missed out on a couple of years of practice. You can make up for lost time."

He chuckles, because he knows Tony only means well. "I love you, but you're a crazy person."

Taking the insult like the endearment it's meant to be, Tony circles his arms around his back and leans against him. "You painted me as an angry cat to make a point. You're one to talk."

"You make a very handsome angry cat."

"Thanks." Tony throws a look back at the picture over his shoulder. "You gave you-cat your features, dear."

He did. "Can we leave now?"

"Do you want to miss the charity auction?"

"Well," he says, "someone promised to sit for me. And apparently I need practice."

Tony laughs against his chest. "Always the strategist."

When they walk out, Steve waves at Natasha to let her know they're leaving and Tony chuckles happily as more people stop in front of his painting, discussing the cats and the deeper meaning behind the composition.

"Who do you think this CA is?" one of the potential bidders asks, inspecting the signature. "Is he well known?"

Tony laughs all the way back to the car. There Steve can finally shut him up with a kiss.


End file.
